Today's NBA, to be clear, is still a ways from earning golden era status when it comes to the center position. But in the name of Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert and the rest, can we please stop with this nonsense about the center position being dead and the basketball world being ruled by perimeter players?

This revelation comes courtesy of a recent conversation with Shaquille O'Neal, the newest minority owner of the Sacramento Kings and resident mentor to young big man DeMarcus Cousins. O'Neal's goal, you see, is to get the 23-year-old Cousins to the top of this ever-growing list of talented centers in today's game. As he explained this new personal mission, he shed light on his view of the modern-day center landscape.

"Some people say Dwight (Howard) is the best, and then some people follow up with Brook (Lopez), and then they'll say Roy (Hibbert)," O'Neal told USA TODAY Sports. "(They) probably have DeMarcus (ranked) four. Some people say Brook is the best. All the stuff I've been reading, and I've been hearing, DeMarcus is always at that four."

So naturally, I wanted to put that theory to the test. Is that, in fact, the generally agreed upon totem pole these days? It doesn't appear to be the case. I asked six front-office executives, reached via text message and granted anonymity to inspire honesty and avoid tampering charges, to rank the best centers in the NBA. The results:

I share this not to start a debate about which of the aforementioned players should be considered power forwards, or even to reach some sort of consensus about a top five, but to shed light on the fact that this season will be as much about the five spot as it will anything else. The varied answers and perspectives from the NBA personnel experts speak volumes about the depth of talent down low, and we soon shall see which of these tall men can take their teams to new heights.

So even with Miami's ability to win back-to-back titles with their major damage being done on the wings, and even though the short list of preeminent superstars is indeed dominated by perimeter players, there's no shortage of centers who matter anymore. If Dwight can pass the chemistry test with the Rockets and play like his old self - and O'Neal, to no one's surprise, doesn't foresee that happening - then Houston may become the place to be come June. If Hibbert can be the kind of force he was during the last postseason run, then the Pacers may be laughing last after all the hype surrounding the Nets and Knicks has passed. And so on.

"I think that you saw the flaws in the Miami Heat last year, (specifically) their lack of size," Barkley said. "And I think the key to me is going to be (free agent center addition) Greg Oden. If he gives them physical size, it's going to be very difficult to beat the team. But that's their real weakness - size. Every big guy they play against just dominates them. I think it really, to me, it depends on what Oden has left in the tank.

"You saw last year, where first of all they shouldn't have won the championship - San Antonio just flat out blew it, but you see how (Indiana Pacers center) Roy Hibbert, (San Antonio forward) Tim Duncan had flashbacks. When they play against big guys man, they just get dominated."

Yet it wasn't too long ago that the Heat didn't have these kinds of concerns, when the possible extinction of the center was a very real thing. In October 2012, the NBA announced that there would no longer be a center spot on the annual All-Star ballot. Howard fired back with a salvo like he only he knows how, releasing a "Save the Centers" video on YouTube that sought pledges to help the disappearing big men and promote his training facility where centers are groomed into point guards. That All-Star move, as a quick aside, has not been forgotten by one of the many young and talented centers.

"I think it's a little messed up that they took the center slot off the All-Star ballot," Clippers center DeAndre Jordan told me last week. "I think that's a little screwed up. But I mean, whatever, that's beside the point. I think that's messed up. How can you (do that)? Centers aren't extinct. That's a position. You know what I mean?"

A strong one at the moment.

It took a perfect storm of sorts to get them to this point, though. Howard, whose April 2012 back surgery led to his forgettable season with the Lakers, appears healthy again and thus is poised to be seen as the chief center of them all. Hibbert, who just last summer had some fans and media scratching their heads when he landed a max contract offer from the Portland Trail Blazers that was matched by the Pacers, has evolved so quickly that he's widely considered one of the best around.

Gasol's unique skillset - short on athleticism, long on smarts, defensive positioning and nearly everything else - was appreciated by the masses more than ever en route to his Memphis Grizzlies reaching the Western Conference finals. Noah, despite his current groin injury, was healthy enough last season to be showcased and adored in a time when Derrick Rose's absence made him so very vital.

Bogut, his career ravaged by injuries these past few years, came on so strong during the Warriors' 2012 playoff run that he recently told NBA.com there are ongoing talks about a possible extension. Lopez, who should have another tremendous showing ahead considering the incredible help he now has around him, had his most impactful campaign yet while helping Brooklyn go 49-33 before falling to the Bulls in the first round. The brutish Pekovic became a Most Improved Player candidate in Minnesota, the Detroit Pistons came into an abundance of promising centers in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. The altered All-Star ballot be darned, it's forward momentum for centers all around.

HOT TOPIC: Warriors to extend Bogut?

Staying on the big man front, it will be interesting to see what becomes of Bogut and the extension talks he revealed in a recent interview with NBA.com. Even more interesting, from this vantage point anyways, is the fact that these talks clearly began just a matter of days ago.

"I'll let the chips fall where they may," he said. "I'm not going to rush things. I'm not going to kick and scream about an extension. I'm just going to let them fall where they may. I'm just happy to be playing basketball again.

"We haven't really spoken about (an extension), to be honest. We haven't had any conversations about it. Like I said, I'll let the chips fall. I'm not going to pressure anyone to do anything."

Nine days later, Bogut was saying there were concrete numbers being shared between his agent, David Bauman, and Warriors officials, and the idea of locking him up right now became more real. The intrigue here is rooted in two conflicting truths that make the Warriors' decision tricky.

Bogut's health history is awful, which would typically inspire teams to laugh out loud at the idea of an extension. But he's feeling better than ever now and has shown how vital he can be to them when he's healthy, meaning the Warriors could - a la Stephen Curry and the four-year, $44 million extension that he agreed to last October - wind up saving beaucoup bucks if he has the sort of impact that would raise his market value come free agency time in July.

That knife cuts both ways of course. Bogut's injuries have left him humbled by his own lack of health, so it's safe to assume that - even though an extension maxes out at three years and he could get four as a free agent - he'd rather secure his future now rather than see it all fall apart again this season should another setback come his way. Then again, the allure of landing an even bigger payday should all go well has to be tempting too.

MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Welcome home?

And you thought Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis was the big reunion game this week.

Former Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry returned on Tuesday to the place where he was so unceremoniously dismissed in January, this time serving as the lead assistant of a Los Angeles Clippers team that is headed for far greater things than the Suns at the moment. Head coach Doc Rivers made the visit one to remember, though, mysteriously becoming ill and handing the head coaching reins to Gentry. As USA TODAY Sports power rankings brethren Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic so aptly put it, "Cough, cough, wink, wink."

After the Clippers held on for the win, Gentry - who remains one of the best and brightest in the business - was his candid self when discussing his time in Phoenix.

"You know, I had eight great years here," Gentry told news reporters with a grin. "I was here nine, by the way."

Laughter from the reporters on hand ensued.

"Obviously I would've preferred to still be here, but that didn't happen," Gentry added. "So you just move on and you make things work out."

BOOK LIST: Summer reading runs deep

The summer is behind us, but that doesn't mean my offseason reading list should be lost for good. A quick disclaimer, however: I have not completed all of these books but am well on my way to doing so.

The Franchise: LeBron James and the remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers: Considering the onslaught of LeBron speculation that will continue until July, why not brush up on the history from his Cleveland years - especially since a return to his home state is seen as a possibility? Longtime Cleveland columnist and author Terry Pluto partnered with ESPN.com NBA reporter and former Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst on this book in 2007.

Vagrant Kings: David Stern, Kevin Johnson, and the NBA's Orphan Team: Talk about a compelling story that is told by the most unique of authors: R.E. Graswich was not only a longtime Sacramento Bee Kings beat writer and columnist but was chief writer and key policy liaison to Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson from 2009 to 2012. That means, of course, that he had access to the sort of behind the scenes material that NBA fans would find so fascinating now that the Seattle-Sacramento saga is over and the team is staying put.

Graswich has faced plenty of criticism for his decision to share what some see as private material, and he attempts to address those questions on his personal blog. But independent of that discussion, the book is worth reading for the sheer history alone. It covers in great detail the organization's path from Rochester, N.Y. to Cincinnati to Kansas City and finally Sacramento, offering a reminder of how far the NBA has come in such a short and expansive amount of time. I'm guessing that Stern, Johnson and - to a lesser degree - Bill Russell won't be happy with this book because of some of the details shared and claims made, but it is an enjoyable read nonetheless.

MUST-WATCH: Basketball and zombies

Thursday night: The Suns at the Kings live,where Jimmer Fredette was alive again in his 23-point, five-assist outing. As for remote viewing, it was the Pelicans-Thunder (where Eric Gordon's debut after he was being held out during the first half of the preseason to regain conditioning after May ankle surgery went well - 21 points on six of nine shooting in 21 minutes) and Heat-Nets (no explanation needed, but this should explain it all) games.

Friday: Lakers-Warriors, where Chris Kaman will continue to play through the pain caused by his tobogganing accident at the Great Wall of China in the Shangai finale between the two teams. The Lakers center had 14 points (seven of seven shooting) and 10 rebounds in the Warriors' 100-95 win just two days after his downhill debacle.

Saturday night: The Spurs at the Heat (speaking of Ray Allen, remember this), and Clippers-Nuggets (Clips big man DeAndre Jordan, who I featured here this week, has 15 blocks through three games and a 73.9 field-goal percentage).

During every other waking - and non-working - moment: The Walking Dead, the AMC hit where the 'Walker' zombies who move slower than Shaq are fast becoming a personal addiction of mine. Nearing the end of Season 3, with Season 4 being recorded on the DVR for later consumption.

FOLLOW FRIDAY: The Pacers' other boss

@PacersKev:Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard is active, open and entertaining on Twitter in ways that the recently returned Larry Bird will likely never be.

Sam Amick covers the NBA for USA TODAY Sports alongside Jeff Zillgitt, and they will have more NBA A to Z columns like this throughout the season. Reach Sam and Jeff on Twitter at @sam_amick and @JeffZillgitt.